Higher Ground
by Major Alex Louis Armstrong
Summary: Sasuke has finally defeated Itachi and returns to Konoha. However instead of feeling satisfied with Itachi's death, he feels only more hurt and emptiness. Would he never be rid of this feeling? NaruSasu


Alex: This was written on a whim and it kind of just came to me. Sorry if it seems a little rushed as it was written in two days. This fic means a lot to me because it was an idea that just popped in my head when I was listening to the song 'Higher Ground' by Alexz Johnson and I just went with it. So please read and tell me what you thought about it. P.s. this is a one-shot fic but depending on the feedback, I could easily be swayed to write a follow up.

Roxie: Also a little note. All of the thoughts and what is actually spoken are in italics. It was my idea to kind of portray the emotion in this fic. I'm pretty sure you wont have any trouble differentiating thoughts from what is spoken. If you do I apologize in advance. We do not own anything Naruto or the song that inspired this story. We do however own this story so all rights belong to us!!

Higher Ground 

Sasuke walked haphazardly through the streets of Konoha. The rain soaking his clothes causing them to stick to his lithe frame. But he didn't care. He didn't care about anything anymore. Not since he had succeeded in completing his life long mission. Vengeance. Itachi Uchiha was dead, and rather then feel some sort of relief, all he felt was more emptiness. The void left by the massacre of his entire clan only severed once more, his fragile heart. And now he stood in front of the once famous Uchiha complex, a shadow of its former glory. A single tear cascaded down his cheek. Why does his feel this way? Why didn't killing Itachi fulfill him…make everything better?

"_WHY!!" _He yelled his screams muffled only by the sound of the rain. He felt cold. Nothing could be done to take this pain away. He collapsed onto his knees crying silently. Unbeknownst to him a figure stood in the darkness watching him with sorrowful eyes. His heart was breaking along with the fallen Uchiha. There was nothing he could do to ease his pain. He had seen him suffer before and had been there to comfort him. But this time he was unsure how to help. He wept silently from the darkness. His heart weighing heavily on him. He couldn't stand by and watch any longer. Stepping out of the darkness and revealing himself he paused and waited for the other to be alerted to his presence. Sasuke turned around to face the person who would dare disturb him at a time such as this. His eyes spinning wildly with the sharingan focusing on the object in front of him.

"_Naruto…?" _He half asked half stated. _"What do you want!" _He spat regaining his former anger. Naruto only stared at Sasuke. His eyes holding so many foreign emotions, many of which Sasuke didn't recognize. Ignoring Sasuke inquiry Naruto stepped forward towards Sasuke, who now stood erect. Sasuke tensed preparing himself for the normal Naruto to break out at any moment. But it never came. Instead he only proceeded to walk towards Sasuke, his intentions unclear to him. Sasuke's tears were now replaced by a scowl that would have made any other person run away in fear. But Naruto just kept walking.

"_What do you want!" _Sasuke demanded now his sharingan never fading. Naruto finally stopped at the sound of Sasuke's voice. Standing a few feet away from Sasuke he hung his head down as if defeated. Sasuke was about to reiterate his last statement when Naruto finally spoke up.

"_I'm sorry." _

If he hadn't been so close, Sasuke wouldn't have heard what he had said. He glared at Naruto, his expression changing from one of anger to one of confusion. Naruto still refused to have eye contact with him, another thing that served to confuse Sasuke as Naruto was the most direct person he has ever known. He felt his anger rising again. Naruto indirect attitude along with his sulking manner was causing him to believe that Naruto was mocking him. He reached out and grabbed the collar of Naruto's shirt forcing the blond to look him in the eye. Red eyes focusing in on their target. Looking in to Naruto's cerulean orbs Sasuke's anger flailed. Before he could register what he was doing a single word escaped his lips.

"_Why…." _It wasn't a demand. But his grip on Naruto's shirt never lessening, a sign that he wanted an answer. Naruto's eyes softened and Sasuke's sharingan faded feeling the initial threat being over. Naruto's raised his hands to Sasuke's shoulders and rested them there. Sasuke's body tensed at the feeling of someone other then himself touching him. He released his grip on Naruto's shirt and proceeded to back away from him, when Naruto's hands pulled him close to him until Naruto was embracing him. Sasuke struggled in Naruto's embrace, but it was to no avail. The way Naruto was holding him made it impossible for him to free himself so he ceased his struggling.

"_Naruto-" _Sasuke spat through clenched teeth.

"_I'm sorry Sasuke." _He repeated once again in the same whispered voice. Before Sasuke could react Naruto continued. _"I wish I could've done something….ease your pain somehow. I see you sad and it makes me sad, I see you cry and I cry too./" _Sasuke's eyes widened. Finally he realized what Naruto had meant. He was filled with some sort of emotion, one he couldn't understand or even put into words. His Uchiha pride reared its ugly head causing him to temporarily forget the foreign emotion. _"I don't need your pity." _He whispered into Naruto's ear. Naruto tightened his embrace, holding onto Sasuke as if his life depended on it. Sasuke shifted, something about Naruto hugging him felt awkward but in a good way. He couldn't…wouldn't admit that to the blond however he was content with staying in his embrace for now. Naruto's voice broke him from his musings. _"Its not pity Sasuke…it sympathy….compassion….maybe something more I don't know. All I know is that when I saw you crying, my heart broke. I was suffering because you were suffering. "_

Silence. Raining.

It took a minute for Sasuke to comprehend what Naruto had just said, but when he did he realized the magnitude of their friendship. It was no secret that Naruto considered Sasuke his most valued friend and silently Sasuke too valued Naruto, however this was much more than that. Hearing Naruto now speak to him with such emotion made Sasuke's heart feel all warm inside, something he wasn't accustomed to. Without registering his body's actions Sasuke's hands wrapped themselves around Naruto's waist. Naruto was surprised by his actions but quickly regained his composure. _"Sasuke…please don't shut me out anymore. You don't have to go through this by yourself. I want…..I want to be here for you……..if you'd left me." _The foreign emotion that irritated Sasuke before came back full force but this time he welcomed it. Still unaware of what he was feeling, he let the emotion take over and let that guide him. Nobody has ever cared so much about him before, not since that day, and here Naruto was after everything that he put him through…..he was still here….still welcoming him with open arms. Why? He didn't deserve Naruto. He didn't deserve anything.

"_You deserve to be happy…" _Naruto whispered as if reading Sasuke's mind. "_Just give it a chance. You've already accomplished what you set out to accomplish. Now you can focus on your happiness. No more fighting Sasuke. You don't need to anymore." _Sasuke's grip on Naruto tightened as he buried his face in Naruto's neck. Tears escaping his eyes unwillingly. Everything Naruto said was true. There's no reason why he couldn't be happy now. He had gotten revenge for his clan and killed the man who was responsible for his sorrow. But now what? He hadn't planned on what he would do after he had killed Itachi. Sure there was the resurrection of his clan but how could he go about that. Could he? He hadn't given it much thought. Besides no one has appealed to him…well that wasn't entirely true. But he couldn't. He would have to give up the idea of resurrecting his clan for the sake of his happiness? That's what Naruto was preaching about right? Happiness. So the question that plagued Sasuke now was, is his happiness worth it? Naruto hands rubbed in circles on Sasuke's back reminding him of his presence. Without another moments hesitation he came to a conclusion.

"_Naruto." _Sasuke whispered. Naruto hummed his reply. _"Could you release me?"_ He asked managing to keep his emotions at bay. Naruto complied silently but even as he broke contact, his eyes locked onto Sasuke's. For a second every lucid thought had in his head vanished. With one look. Those eyes. Why? If only he knew the answer. Those eyes were his weakness. The only thing that could make him lose his resolve. Sasuke had never felt weak in his life due to someone else's actions. But here stood Naruto just starting at him. No genjutsu or ninjutsu, just a gaze. Sasuke smirked to himself. Naruto seeing this managed a weak smile.

Silence fell between the two ninja once again. The rain continued to pour down on their already soaked bodies.

"_Na-ru-to." _

Naruto's eyes widened at the sound of his name escaping Sasuke's mouth. They way he said his name made shivers run through his body….or was he shivering because of the rain? Something about the way Sasuke spoke made Naruto wonder. It was a tone he had never head Sasuke speak with to anyone. What did it all mean?

"_You were right." _

Naruto's eyes widened even more as if it were possible. Here Sasuke was admitting that HE was right. _Right about what? _Naruto wondered.

"_About everything." _

"_Everything?" _Naruto asked obviously confused. Sasuke sighed to himself. _He really didn't get it? _Sasuke thought to himself. It took all his energy to restrain himself from calling Naruto and idiot, or something along those lines. He truly was clueless. Sasuke stepped forward closing the distance between them. _Naruto's always understood the direct approach. _Sasuke thought to himself as another smirk graced his features. He hesitated for a moment. _"Oh to hell with it." _He whispered before grabbing Naruto's collar and pulling his lips towards his. Before Naruto could protest, he found Sasuke's tongue darting out licking his lips sensually. Naruto gasped at the foreign feeling but welcoming it nonetheless. He embraced the kiss, kissing back just as hungrily as Sasuke had. Naruto's mouth slowly opened giving Sasuke's tongue the entrance he desired so much. His arms wrapped themselves around Sasuke's neck pulling him closer deepening the kiss as Sasuke's tongue explored its new found home.

Naruto moaned or maybe it was Sasuke or both. Either way both were lost in the passion of the kiss that they hadn't noticed the raining had ceased. Sasuke's hands released Naruto's shirt to roam over his body, becoming accustomed to what excited the blond. Naruto moaned at the feeling of those hands exploring his body. His air supply slowly fading. _Oh no! _Naruto thought. _I forgot how to breathe. _He didn't want to be the one to break the kiss, however it was either that or sudden death. _Decisions Decisions. _Naruto's lungs gave out in the end and forced him to break away from Sasuke. Both gazed at each other. Obsidian and cerulean. Both panting slightly. A thought occurred to Naruto. Why? Why had Sasuke just done that? His earlier confusion coming back. What was the meaning of this?

"_Why did you just…." _Naruto fumbled with this thumbs a light blush evident on his cheeks. _"You know…" _he finished unable to say exactly what happened.

"_Kiss you?" _Sasuke asked casually as if it were normal.

Naruto's blush deepened. This was beyond embarrassing. He could only nod his answer. Sasuke smirked. _Damn that smirk. _Naruto cursed to himself.

"_I just took your advice." _

Advice?! Naruto was bewildered. He had never once told Sasuke kiss me it will make you feel a lot better. So what the hell did he mean by _'I just took your advice'? _He needed straight answers and Sasuke was beating around the bush. _"Meaning?" _Naruto asked.

"_Meaning my happiness is most important to me….and you make me happy." _

Naruto couldn't believe his ears. He made Sasuke happy? And Sasuke was admitting it? That still didn't explain why he had just kissed him the way he did. Just because someone makes you happy doesn't mean you go and kiss them. If that were the case then Naruto would have kissed half of Konoha…including he gulped baa chan. Naruto shivered at the thought. _"Still…" _He paused. Damn it he still couldn't bring himself to say it. _"That doesn't explained why you …."_

"_Kissed you?" _Sasuke offered again grinning smugly. Naruto narrowed his eyes in annoyance but nodded affirmatively. "It's simple really." Sasuke said grabbing Naruto and leaning forward as if to kiss him again. Naruto's body froze waiting for the soft touch of Sasuke's lips against his own once more. But it never came. Instead Sasuke leaded forward to rest his chin on Naruto's shoulder. His breath ticking Naruto's ears and sending tingles of electricity throughout his body. _"Because you make me happy." _He repeated again. _"Because you never gave up on me…even when I gave up on myself."_ The meaning of Sasuke's words hit him and he silently braced himself for what was to come next. _"Because you are dear to me." _Sasuke pulled back to catch Naruto's reaction. What he saw made that warm feeling return to his heart. Naruto was crying. Sasuke's initial reaction was to back away from the blond for fear that he had said something wrong but before he could, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's neck and embraced him tightly. Sasuke was taken back by the quick motion but found himself wrapping his arms around Naruto's torso.

"_Why are you crying?" _

"_Because I'm happy." _Was Naruto's only response as they continued to hug each other. Both content in the other's arms. For once in his life Sasuke felt….complete. All the pain and sorrow he once felt was gone. The void was gone. Had he found true happiness after living so long in anger and sorrow? Was Naruto the cure to all his grief? Those were questions he couldn't answer. He didn't need the answers though. Because he already knew. Somehow he's always known. Just ignored the signs. He smiled. A genuine smile. His past was full of uncertainty, confusion, anger, and sadness. His future. Looked as bright as ever. He looked down at the mass of golden hair and kissed it softly. So long as Naruto was in it. _"Sasuke." _Naruto managed through his tears. Sasuke pulled away to look Naruto in the eyes signaling him to continue. "_What does this all mean?" _Naruto asked tears still flowing freely. _"I mean where do we go from here?"_ Sasuke answered the question without hesitation.

"_It means I want to be with you Naruto." _Sasuke answered truthfully. _"It means you're the one that I want to be with forever." _

Something dawned on Naruto. _"But what about the resurrection of your clan? You can't accomplish that if your with me."_ Naruto finished lowering his head. He knew how much the revival of Sasuke's clan meant to him. Naruto couldn't let him ruin all of his dreams for him. He couldn't provide Sasuke with a heir so he was useless to him. This thing whatever was happening between them, could be nothing more than this.

"_None of that matters to me anymore._" Sasuke spoke softly his voice cracking. _"What's important to me…what I care about more than anything--" _He paused to cup Naruto's chin in his hand to raise his face so that he could gaze into his eyes as he finished.

"_Is you." _

Without waiting for his reply Sasuke captured Naruto's lips again. This time in a sweet kiss. Naruto's heart fluttered at the sound of those last words. Sasuke cared about him. More than as a friend. More than as a brother. But as a lover. Naruto had to mentally slap himself. This was all to good to be true. His feelings for Sasuke far exceeded those of a friend. He first noticed it when they fought at the Valley of the End. Why else would he go so far to keep Sasuke from going to Orochimaru? He didn't know it then the magnitude of his feelings for Sasuke but when he left, it was like his world fell apart. His every thought was consumed day and night with Sasuke and how he wanted….had to get him back. And now that he was back and he got his revenge, Naruto felt that he couldn't lose him again for it would surely break his heart. The kissed ended. Naruto gripped Sasuke's arms tightly. He had to make sure that this was real. That Sasuke was here to stay.

"_Is this real Sasuke?" _He asked innocently. _"Do you really mean it all?" _

Sasuke nodded and smirked. _"Of course it is dobe." _

If he wasn't convinced before he was now, Naruto smiled up at Sasuke. _Only he could insult me at a time like this and make me smile about it. _Naruto thought. _Yep this was the real thing. _But he wasn't finished with Sasuke just yet.

"_If you mean that then promise me one thing." _

"_And what's that?" _Sasuke asked unsure if he could agree to Naruto's terms, after all it is Naruto.

"_That you won't leave me again…Ever." _Naruto stated looking at Sasuke seriously. All traces of his smile and happiness fading briefly. Sasuke just gazed at Naruto. He was wondering how long could his drag this out before he actually agree to his one and only condition. Of course he was going to agree, he just wanted to drag it out for a long as possible.

A few minutes passed. Naruto was becoming impatient. What was taking so long? Did he really have to think about it? Honestly Naruto felt it was a simple request. One that Sasuke should have been able to answer easily. Then why--

"_I promise." _Sasuke finally said breaking Naruto from his reverie. He shook his head refocusing his attention back to the Uchiha. _"What?" _He asked forgetting that he was the one who asked a question. Sasuke couldn't believe the nerve of the dobe. He had just agreed to the stupid condition and here was the blond acting as if he was clueless. Could he really put up with Naruto for the rest of his life?

Yes.

"_Tell me your kidding." _Sasuke said giving Naruto an irritated glare. Naruto smiled wide.

"_Of course I'm kidding." _he said before grabbing Sasuke close and kissing him again. Sasuke had half the mind to hit the idiot over the head but decided against it. This kiss was better anyway. Naruto broke away from the kiss. It was almost daylight and the town would soon be up and alert.

"_I think we should go home now." _Naruto said.

"_Home?" _Sasuke asked confused.

"_Back to my apartment." _Naruto clarified. _"After all we are still soaking wet and the town will be up soon." _Something about Naruto calling his apartment their 'home' felt right. He finally had a 'home' and someone to come 'home' to. He chuckled. "What's so funny?" Naruto asked feeling as if he missed a joke.

"_Nothing." _Sasuke replied_. "Lets go home." _He finished grabbing Naruto's hand and pulling him towards their new found home.

--

The morning sun shone brightly in the sky as the people of Konoha began to stir in the streets. Merchants began to set up shops and the villagers began busying themselves with their day to day task. The rays of sunlight filtered through the window of the apartment building. Inside two figures lay asleep entangled in each others embrace. Content. Sleeping. Enjoying the other's company. Ready to overcome all obstacles that stand in their way and transcend to a higher ground. So long as they have each other.

"_I know this road _

_Never seen it before_

_I know what lies behind unopened doors _

_I saw the signs from a distant shore _

_That I couldn't ignore_

_I'm heading for higher ground." _


End file.
